Wagonteamster

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3/23/12, La Garita, CO - The wagon refit continues to go well. I have about a day of work left to finish the brakes. The new spindles and brake assemblies are installed on the front, as well as the two new master cylinder/pedal assemblies. Other than painting, the only major work left to do are some repairs to the front canvass, installing the fence chargers, some new electrical receptacles and some exterior lighting.

Today, I took a much needed (wanted) day off.  After brushing out a bushel basket full of winter hair, I threw saddles on Bill and Doc and went for a ride with a friend in the foothills.  It was a picture perfect day, clear with a slight breeze from the south.

Some wooden corner posts on a grazing allotment fence, made a nice place to tie Doc and Bill for a picnic lunch. The poet in Bill kept his gaze on the beautiful scenery to the east.

Just across the ridge, a flock of Sandhill Cranes had settled on to the lower reaches of Carnero Creek.  The trill of their voices was like background music for a picnic lunch.

Everywhere I saw signs of spring starting to appear. All of the summer birds are back and tinges of green are peeking out in the clumps of buffalo and blue gramma grasses.

I’ve had several comments about my winter investment of restaurant food that I’m carrying around my girth.  Sadly, the ‘twins’ are slowly starving to death and will soon be a distant memory.

In about a week, my childhood friend, Dave Buck and I are harnessing up the team and headed to the southeast side of the valley.  We should be gone twelve days.  As the lads are in training, I allowed for 4 days of travel each way to drive the 72 miles to our camping location on the bank of the Rio Grande River.

Thirty five years ago, when Dave and I were 17 years old, we joined the Army on the same day, he off to Alaska, while I went to Europe.  Since that time, we have only seen each other twice.  I’m really looking forward to spending some quality time with an Old Bud and rehashing the days of our youth.

I bet all of the local ranchers wished that their cattle were as tame as the La Garita Pronghorns!